This week, Jeff Popple reviews three good rural novels for Australia Day. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
Heart Of The River by Cheryl Adnams
HQ, $32.99
Set alongside a flooding Murray River in 1956, Heart Of The River is an engaging book by one of Australia’s leading practitioners of the historical novel, Cheryl Adnams.
Mixing romance with war, prejudice, and family drama, Heart Of The River follows the burgeoning relationship between local pub cook Isabel Hayward, and Italian farmer Matteo Sorrenti. Isabel, Matteo and wealthy farming scion, Ross Burrows, are all linked by their father’s wartime experiences, and, as the river rises to its peak, tensions and old secrets emerge. Full of interesting historical detail, this is an engrossing tale that will appeal to aficionados of rural history and romance.
The Good Dog by Simon Rowell
Text, $34.99
Simon Rowell’s series about Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer of the Victorian Police Force and her trusty service dog, Harry, is an underappreciated gem of Australian crime writing. The Good Dog is third book in the series and opens with Zoe and Harry being called to the rural area of Mount Macedon. The bodies of a notorious fraudster and his lawyer have been found in a carpark, and it seems like a grisly murder-suicide. Zoe, however, is sceptical, especially when further violence occurs.
Well plotted and briskly paced, this is another accomplished novel by Rowell that will keep you keenly reading to the end.
The Blue Gum Camp by Léonie Kelsall
Allen & Unwin, $32.99
For those after a touch of rural romance this Australia Day, Léonie Kelsall’s The Blue Gum Camp is a pleasant and engaging read. Sensible older sister, Charity, reluctantly accompanies her two siblings on a weekend trip to the country to attend a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball. She is not expecting to find love in the paddocks but is intrigued by a local farmer who has more than a few secrets of his own. Featuring a crisp storyline, a strong female lead, and some loving descriptions of the Australian countryside, Léonie’s many fans will greatly enjoy her latest rural escapade.
